Door mechanism for railway cars



Sept. 18, 1951' L.'J. TILLMAN r 2,568,033 DOOR MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed May 9; 1947 I v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1951 L. J. TILLMAN 7 DOOR MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed may 9, 1947 v INVENTOR. J: T 11111211211,

LlmbeI'Z i B t g\ Wi N a AW 8 1 V AWL laientecl Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOOR MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY CARS Lambert J. Tillman, Toledo, Ohio Application May 9, 1947, Serial No. 746,895

6 Claims.

My invention relates to door mechanisms for hinge axis of the door for receiving the upper end 1 of an'extensible helical spring, the lower end of which is secured to the car body so that, when the door is moved toward open position, the spring is extended to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position and the moment 7 arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis of the door decreases as the door swings to fully open position.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a drop bottom door fora railway gondola car which is pivotally connected to the center sill of the car with rigid means having a portion disposed intermediate the hinge axis of the door and the center sill and in attaching to said portion one end of an extensible spring whose opposite end is anchored to the car body, said portion being disposed with respect to the hinge axis of the door so that it not only causes the spring to be extended when the door is moved to open position, but also results in decreasing the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis of the door as the door opens.

Other and more specific features of the invention, residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of a railway gondola car showing the invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the car adjacent one of the corners of the door.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 indicates one of the structural members of the car center sill and 2 one of the side sills of the car which may advantageously be of angle shape having an upturned substantially vertical flange 3 and a substantially horizontal flange 4. In the particular car chosen for purposes of illustrating the invention, the sills are connected by a plurality of suitably spaced cross bearers or diaphragms 5. The sides of the car may be conveniently formed of sheet metal plates 6 which may be conveniently reinforced by side stakes 1, the lower ends of the metal sheets 6 being riveted to the upstanding flange 3 of the adjacent side sill.

The floor of the car surrounding the lading discharge openings may be formed in part by a plate 8 which extends longitudinally of the car and overlies the center sill. In addition, the sides of each lading discharge opening are formed by plates 9 which extend transversely of the car overlapping the center sill plate 8, being preferably secured to the underlying cross bearer by rivets Ill. The inner edges of the horizontal flange 4 of the side sills form the fourth side of each lading discharge opening, it being noted that the outer ends of the transverse plates 9 overlap the upper surface of the flange 4 for connection thereto by rivets ll. Each lading discharge opening of the car is normally closed by a door 12 which is hingedly mounted adjacent one edge thereof. In the form of the invention illustrated, the center sill is provided with a pair of hinge brackets I3 to which the doors may be pivotally connected by hinge pins M which pass through suitable apertures in hinge members 15 secured to the under side of the door. As usual, the lading discharge door has continuously extending marginal flanges l6 and at the points where the door is hinged to the center sill the marginal flange along the hinged edge of the door is bent outwardly, as indicated at IT in Figure 2, so as not to interfere with free pivotal movement of the door.

Adjacent each of its hinges, the door is preferably provided with a bracket [8 for connection to an extensible helical spring l9. Each bracket l8 may be conveniently formed with a plate portion 20 riveted to the under side of the door and with a substantially upright plate portion 2| which extends from beneath the door and terminates at a point intermediate the hinge axis of the door and the center sill of the car. The marginal flange of the door along its hinged edge is also oflset to permit the upright portion 2| of each bracket [8 to project beyond the hinge axis of the door.

The lower end of the spring I9 is anchored to the car body by being hooked over the projecting end '22 of the member 23 which extends continuously beneath the center sill from one side thereof to the other and which may be secured by a rivet 24 to the outturned leg 25 of one of the angle members at each side of the center sill. The upper end of each spring is connected to the outer end of the upright portion 2| of each bracket l8 at a point between the hinge axis of the door and the car center sill. The connection between the spring and the bracket may be easily efiected by providing the latter with an aperture 26 through which the upper end of the spring may be hooked.

By connecting the upper end of the spring to the plate 2! at a point intermediate the hinge axis of the door and the center sill, it will be per ceived that, when the door moves from closed to open position, the spring will be extended and. thus exert a force on the door tending to return than when in closed position.

it to closed position. Not only does the spring act in this manner during opening of the door, but the point of connection between the spring and the plate 2| moves closer toward a vertical plane passing through the hinge axis of the door.- Thus the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis decreases as the door opens. It will, therefore, be seen that, even though the spring is extended during opening movement of the door, the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis simultaneously decreases with the result that the spring exerts less force on the door when it is in open position Although the force of the spring acting on the door is greatest when the door is closed, it still is nevertheless incapable of completely counter-balancing the weight of the door.

It will, of course, be appreciated that any suitable means, not shown, may be employed for supporting the door in closed position.

Various modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car having a door hinged to the car adjacent a center sill thereof, means rigid with the door and projecting beyond the hinged edge thereof toward said center sill, and a substantially upright extensible spring having one end secured to the car and the other end to said means so that when the door is moved toward open position the spring is extended and thereby energized to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position, said means being so arranged that the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis of the door decreases as the door nears fully open position, said spring means being disposed beneath the door when closed.

2. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car having a door hinged. to the car adjacent the center sill thereof, said door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, means rigid with the door and projecting therefrom beyond the hinge axis of the door toward said center sill, and a substantially upright extensible spring having its lower end fastened to said center sill and its upper end fastened to said means so that when the spring is caused to move toward the door about its connection to the car and the door is moved toward open position the spring is extended and thereby energized to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position, said spring being disposed beneath the door when closed, said means being arranged with respect to the hinge axis of the door that the moment arm of the force of the spring about said hinge axis decreases as the door nears fully open position.

3. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car having a door hinged to the car body adjacent the center sill thereof, said door being movable to open position under the influence of gravity, means rigid with the door having a portion disposed between the hinged edge thereof and said center sill, and a substantially upright extensible spring disposed beneath the door when closed having one end connected to the car and having its other end connected to the door, the end of the spring cooperable with the door being connected to said portion of said means so that when the door is moved toward open position the spring is caused to swing toward the door about its con- 4 nection to said car and is extended to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position and the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis of the door decreases as the door nears fully open position.

4. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car having a door hinged to the car body adjacent the center sill thereof, means rigid with the under side of the door and extending beyond the hinge axis thereof toward the center sill, and a substantially upright extensible spring having one end secured to the car and the other end secured to the portion of said means extending beyond said hinge axis so that when the door is moved toward open position the spring is caused to swing toward the door about its connection to the car and is extended and thereby energized to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position, said spring also being connected to said means in such manner that the moment arm of the force of the spring about the hinge axis of the door decreases as the door nears fully open position.

5. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car, hinge brackets mounted on the center sill of the car, a door pivotally connected to said brackets, and brackets secured to the door respectively having portions normally disposed intermediate the hinge axis of the door and the center sill, and substantially upright extensible springs respectively having their lower ends fastened to said center sill and their upper ends fastened to the said portions so that when the door is moved toward open position the spring is caused to swin toward the door about its connection to the center sill and is extended and thereby energized to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position, said portions being respectively arranged so that the moment arm of the force of the spring about said hinge axis decreases as the door nears fully open position.

6. A door mechanism for a railway gondola car having a door hinged to the car body adjacent the center sill thereof, said door having downwardly extending marginal flanges, means rigid with the under side of the door respectively having portions projecting beyond the hinge axis thereof toward the center sill, the marginal flange of the door adjacent said means being deformed to receive said portions, and substantially upright extensible springs respectively having their upper ends connected to the outer ends of said portions and having their lower ends connected to the car body so that when the door is moved toward open position the springs are extended and thereby energized to provide a force tending to return the door to closed position, said outer ends of said portions being so arranged with respect to the hinge axis of the door that the moment arm of the force of the spring about said hinge axis decreases as the door nears fully open position.

LAMBERT J. TILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 533,205 Bergman Jan. 29, 1895 1,066,146 Priebe July 1, 1913 1,089,367 Schroyer Mar. 4, 1914 1,199,849 Willoughby Oct. 3, 1916 1,785,568 Wells Dec. 16, 1930 

